Cuddy talks all things puck

Blue Rodeo frontman Jim Cuddy skated with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades at the St. George School rink on Sunday, a day before the country-rock band is scheduled to perform at TCU Place.

A noted hockey enthusiast, Cuddy chatted about jinxing the Toronto Maple Leafs, writing a song about the sport and Canada’s Olympic chances.

Why do you find time to play hockey everywhere you go, even with such a busy travel schedule?
“It’s a perfect complement to playing (music) because you usually play (hockey) during the day. There are tons of musicians’ leagues across the country. Now that I’ve let it be known that I like to play hockey, I get opportunities like this — skating with junior teams. Last week I played in the Saddledome (in Calgary). You just never know what’s going to come up so you’ve got to have your gear.”

How exciting is knowing that everywhere you go there’s going to be something similar to what you experienced here today?
“The great thing about hockey is there’s instant camaraderie. You know when you’re doing your skates up that you can start some kind of conversation. For me, it’s asking where these guys are from, what they want to do, how old they are, how many more years they have left in junior. It’s a nice, quick entrance into some other life.”

You’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. What’s your earliest memory of the Leafs or most favourite one growing up?
“It’s funny. When I was a kid, I was born in Toronto, but I didn’t live in Toronto because my parents (moved) somewhere else. I just had this thing about the Leafs. I lived in Montreal in 1967. Then after the Leafs won the Cup, beat Montreal, my dad told us we were moving to Toronto. I thought, ‘This is going to be unbelievable. My Leafs are going to win Cups forever.’ And not one single Cup since that moment. I’ve lived on and off in Toronto since then. I have plenty of great memories of the Leafs as a kid and plenty of frustrating memories as an adult.”

How tough has it been watching them over the last little while?
“Since the Dougie Gilmour era, when we surged for a while, it’s been pretty tough. A lot of disappointment.”

You go to your share of hockey games. What’s it like when a Blue Rodeo song comes on?
“It’s unbelievable. It truly is unbelievable. Because then all the people around you start staring at you when they didn’t want to make it known that they knew who you were before. But I love when they play Canadian music, like when they play Great Big Sea or The (Tragically) Hip or something like that. Those are the sounds that get me going.”

Speaking of which, those bands have put out pretty big hockey songs. Do you have one of those coming?
“We (Blue Rodeo) don’t have a hockey song. But I have a hockey song that I’m going to put together next year. There was a big contest this year, so obviously that wasn’t going to be the time.”

What’s the genesis behind that?
“It’s called, ‘He Plays for Our Town.’ It’s about the mixed feelings a kid has about being so special in his town for playing hockey.”

When do you think it will be out?
“Next fall or something like that.”

You play hockey in a league in Toronto. Given that you’re on tour, are you basically a part-time player now?
“I’m the worst teammate. I sort of play all through the fall and then I’m gone all winter. I think it’s something where people who know me and play with me understand I won’t be there half the time.”

How particular are you about your gear?
“I guess I’m pretty particular. I’m a little less particular. I used to be really, really nuts with how long my sticks were and everything. I’ve had a great connection with Graf and they’ve suited me up with skates. Gear was not this good when I was a kid. It was a lot harder to learn how to skate with leather skates than it was with form-molded skates.”

So would you say your skating’s improved a little bit?
“Oh, I’m way better than I was as a kid. I take it more seriously.”

What do you think about the state of the game in Canada these days?
“I think the game is very exciting. I, for one, am very happy they took out all of the obstruction. When you look back on those games, they’re pretty dreary with everybody draped over each other. I don’t think there’s ever been a time when players were bigger, faster or more skilled. If the game has to change because of it, that’s OK. We’re definitely seeing, around the world, the most skilled players that there’s ever been.”

Your current tour wraps up March 2. How will that affect how you watch the Olympics?
“We obviously discussed that. But I think because all the significant action is going to take place at such weird times, it’s not going to be significant to us. We’re playing at night. The games will already be done. We’ll know the score and stuff like that. We have to make sure that our satellite is hooked up properly with CBC feed so we can watch the games.”

Are you optimistic about Canada’s chances in men’s and women’s play?
“I think they’re both very good. When you look at the roster Canada had (to choose from), Jeff Carter, Martin St. Louis … That’s a lot of good players. I was at the Vancouver Olympics and was at all the Canadian games. I remember how exciting it was to watch that level of hockey. It’s going to be awesome.”